Mom with failing sight assessed by doctor

MARSHA JOSEPH was yesterday assessed by a doctor at the San Fernando General Hospital in preparation for cataract surgery on her right eye.

The mother of seven, who is already blind in the left eye, cried as she walked out the hospital with her husband 40-year-old Devanand Mohammed. She is expected to return there in the next two weeks.

“It is finally going to happen. I still can’t believe it. I am finally going to be able to see my children again. I am so grateful for this opportunity,” she told Newsday yesterday.

Joseph, 38, said was told by doctors that she may need two surgeries. She only has five per cent vision in her right eye.

At the age of one, Joseph lost vision in her left eye because of infant congenital cataract, and vision in her right is failing rapidly. She lives with and four of their children.

The others live elsewhere with relatives. The couple’s youngest child is 15 months old. Joseph said with her wooden one-bedroom house at Brasso Main Road, Tabaquite not having electricity or running water, life is extremely hard and making ends meet is a daily struggle.

Last month, after a visit to a private doctor, she was told that the cost to have cataract surgery was $80,000. She said she did not know how to begin to raise the money. In 2007 she was given a referral letter from the Tabaquite health centre to take to the hospital. Joseph said she was given an appointment to return in the next six months and another in the next two years. She admitted she became frustrated and had given up hope.

“Now here I am at the hospital. People don’t know how many years I have been praying for this day to come. I have already accepted the fact that I would never be able to see in my left eye. I just want to be able to see again even if is with one eye. I am so much grateful for these doctors. I just want to say thank you so much. I just want to thank everyone who have been calling and offering to donate to my family.”

After Newsday published her story on Tuesday, offers of help have been pouring in from members of the public.

Anyone wishing to donate food items and more to the family can contact the Newsday South Bureau at 652-6533/652-8550. Financial donations can also be made to Joseph’s First Citizens Bank account number 2001685.